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Saturday, October 1, 2016

Allyse Montlake needs a job and quick. But what can a curvy girl with a penchant for plant magic do in the current job market? It’s just not the kind of thing that most people put on applications these days. To help her mother with medical expenses, she has to get something that pays more than her bookstore job—and quick. When she goes with her friend Cara to a job fair, she has no idea she’s just applied for a position on Extreme Bachelor-in front of the camera and not behind the scenes as she intended. When she meets the man behind the mystique, can he love her for who she is and see the beauty behind the curves?

Soren Rochester is a werewolf and the owner of Barks, one of America’s most successful pet store chains. He also happens to be fighting a curse. One pissed off witch of an ex-girlfriend and he’s running short on time to find a mate or else. When his assistant suggests a reality television show he reluctantly agrees. Can this beast find true love amidst the glittering dresses of the contestants or will he find her only to lose her in a field of thorns?

“No way.” Allyse clutched the invitation in her hand and stood at the closed gates of the Rochester estate. She waved the email at the stylish woman with the clipboard standing in front of her.

“This was supposed to be for a behind the scenes job on the show, not for a close up on camera looking for a husband.”

“I understand, dear, but if you’ll get back in line with the others, we’ll get all of this sorted out in a few minutes, okay?”

“Others?” Allyse’s stomach sank. This was so not going how she’d planned.

“Other contestants. Everything will be explained shortly. Now, if you’ll just get in line?” The woman’s voice drifted off in a distracted hollow tone, her attention taken up by a large catering truck approaching the gate.

“You need to go around back. This is for guests only.” She jabbed her finger at the driver’s window and Allyse stopped listening.

Allyse gritted her teeth and made her way over to the group of six women who, like her, waited for direction. She didn’t miss the behind the hand comments and slant-eyed stares. Her curvy form seemed to invite them. Today, she’d worn a new black and white floral top and soft flowing black slacks with new strappy black heels. Her long, dark hair was twisted into a loose updo with tendrils of curls fluttering down the sides of her face. She’d even splurged on a new tube of lipstick she couldn’t really afford, but it was important to make the right impression with the people who mattered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Allyse spotted a camera crew filming them from afar and her stomach did a funny little flip. She turned her head and recognized the hostess for the show standing next to the coordinator and swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat. She’d helped behind the scenes on a few shows, but never had she even considered herself a candidate for the hand of a man she didn’t even know. It was, in her opinion, ludicrous to think you could meet someone and know, in a date or two, if there was chemistry enough to warrant a lifetime commitment. How awkward would it be to tell someone oh hey, I sort of forgot to tell you I’m a witch that can sniff out car keys like a prized spaniel and oh, by the way, if you ever want your roses to grow, just pass me the word and I’ll make sure they get the memo.

Besides, she never aspired to being married. No one had ever really made her think of it. For her, marriage meant forever, and she didn’t abide by the modern sensibility that you could dump someone like you changed your socks. The only man in her life was Mr. Stinky, an irritable little Chihuahua who’d claimed her heart long ago. She was happy. He didn’t hassle her about her curves or needle her about hogging the bed. Nope. He was a perfect little pouty faced angel and she was mad for him.

He was pissed as hell at her right now, too. Leaving him with her mother wasn’t normally an issue, but the little guy had taken one look at her luggage and given her such an evil glare she still had the scorch marks. He’d gone right up to the top of the stairs, staring down at her like an angry gargoyle.

All she had to do was get through the next few days, collect her check and hope it was enough to help put a dent in her mom’s doctor bills. It made her sick to think of how little insurance actually covered. She had to do something to help make ends meet and work she would. It was late afternoon and, from what the email said, they should be entering the property to get settled.

The hostess walked away from the film crew and joined the other women.

“Attention, ladies. If you could all join me here at the gates, we’ll get started.”